Ministry of Tourism Engages Mbale City Authorities Ahead of World Tourism Day Celebrations

The Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities through the Tourism Development Department, has commenced engagements with key stakeholders as part of preparations for this year’s World Tourism Day celebrations.

As is customary, Uganda will join the rest of the world to commemorate World Tourism Day, with this year’s national celebrations set to be hosted in Mbale City. To ensure a successful and inclusive event, the Ministry has embarked on a series of coordination meetings with stakeholders in the host region.

Following the successful conclusion of the first National Organising Committee (NOC) meeting that brought together key players from across the tourism sector, the Ministry held the second engagement with Mbale City officials and tourism stakeholders to assess preparedness and strengthen coordination ahead of the celebrations.

The meeting was chaired by the Deputy City Clerk Ms. Jolly Hasoho and attended by the Deputy Mayor of Mbale City Mr. Aziz Ashraf alongside representatives from the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities, Uganda Tourism Board and Mbale City authorities.

During the engagement, stakeholders were taken through the roadmap for the month-long September activities, which include inter-school competitions, a regional conference, sports competitions, a cultural festival, beer fun run, recognition of excellence awards, match past and exhibitions, a medical camp, a concert and exploration of attractions in the Elgon region. Discussions focused on the importance of effective mobilisation, ensuring regional participation in all planned activities, promoting stakeholder inclusion and strengthening collaboration among partners to deliver successful and memorable World Tourism Day celebrations.

The engagement also provided an opportunity for stakeholders to align on roles and responsibilities, ensuring that communities, tourism actors and local authorities are fully involved in the preparations.

The meeting concluded with an inspection visit to the proposed main celebration venue at Mbale Secondary School grounds, as well as the upcoming monument that will be unveiled as a legacy project during the World Tourism Day celebrations.

The Ministry remains committed to working closely with stakeholders to showcase Uganda’s tourism potential and deliver a successful World Tourism Day celebration that creates lasting benefits for the host community and the wider tourism sector.